Parliamentary questions

707. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the percentage for the take up of applicants for Protestant as compared to Catholic institutions, for those institutions currently eligible, for the mother and baby institutional redress scheme. [28578/26]

708. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the Government will review the exclusion of those children who spent less than 180 days in institutions for the mother and baby institutional redress scheme. [28579/26]

709. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the Government will introduce a financial redress scheme for children boarded out via all institutional settings. [28581/26]

710. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether advancing the proposed European Union Equal Treatment Directive will form part of Ireland's policy priorities during its Presidency of the Council of the European Union; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28585/26]

711. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current status of negotiations on the proposed European Union Equal Treatment Directive at the Council level; the main barriers to agreement identified by Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28586/26]

712. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the mechanisms in place to coordinate Ireland's position on the proposed European Union Equal Treatment Directive across relevant Departments, including the Department of Children, Disability and Equality; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28587/26]

713. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps Ireland has taken to engage with other Member States to build consensus on the proposed European Union Equal Treatment Directive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28588/26]

714. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress made on each of the individual Programme for Government commitments assigned to her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28651/26]

267. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on an assessment of need application for a child (details supplied); if she will investigate reports of a significant delay following the incorrect forwarding of the file to a different HSE area; the steps being taken to ensure this child is assessed in accordance with statutory timelines under the D…

268. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount of funding provided to an organisation (details supplied) by her Department in 2025; if she will list the sources of all funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27710/26]

269. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she plans to extend the length of paternity leave from its current two weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27810/26]

270. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if there is a statutory basis for the suspension of reviews of completed assessment of need applications under the Disability Act 2005 in an area (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27844/26]

271. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when applications for the next building block scheme will be open; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27877/26]

309. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on funding for an MS community support worker in Sligo, Leitrim (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27463/26]

310. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of additional respite beds will be provided for children in County Kerry in 2026; the number of children on the waiting list; the length of time they are waiting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27353/26]

311. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of additional respite beds will be provided for adults in County Kerry in 2026; the number of adults on the waiting list; the length of time they are waiting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27354/26]

312. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress that has been made in the rollout of the €20 million allocated in Budget 2026 for the assessment of needs, targeted at a waiting list initiative; the specific programmes or services funded to date; the regional distribution of the funding; the expected outcomes and timelines for completion; and if s…

313. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when she intends to provide all county childcare committees with the Shaping the Future - Early Years Action Plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27432/26]

314. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any independent or externally commissioned value-for-money review has been conducted on the use of private providers for residential childcare placements funded by Tusla since 2020; if so, to provide the dates, authors, scope and key findings of each review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [275…

315. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average annual cost per child associated with private residential placements, private foster care placements, and special emergency arrangements, for each year from 2022 to 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27505/26]

316. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the outcome measures used at Departmental level to assess the effectiveness of privately delivered residential childcare placements funded by Tusla; whether such outcome measures are formally linked to funding allocations or contract renewals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27506/26]

317. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department requires Tusla to assess the underlying cost structures, including profit margins, of private providers of residential childcare placements as part of value-for-money considerations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27507/26]

318. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any internal audit, external audit, or examination by the Comptroller and Auditor General has been carried out on the cost-effectiveness or value-for-money of private childcare placements funded by Tusla since 2020; if so, to provide details and findings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27508/…

319. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of private providers contracted to deliver residential childcare placements funded by Tusla; the proportion of total placements accounted for by the five largest providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27509/26]

320. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the policy basis on which pricing for private residential childcare placements is set by Tusla, including whether pricing is benchmarked against international comparators or independently validated cost models; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27510/26]